A collection of refurbished French rifles from the collection of a mysterious "Monsieur X" will be among the highlights at Ader's Weapon and Historical Memories auction in Paris, tomorrow (November 25).
According to Ader, each of these rifles has been expertly refurbished by a specialist: cleaned, re-polished and retouched, with the gun's marks and engravings restored to how they would have originally looked. The weapons' wood has also been varnished for protection.
The French model rifles are XII Flintlock Infantry Carbine pieces, dated to 1807-1814. Distinct features among them include a platinum plate marked "Mre Imple OF VERSAILLES", complimented by antique brass fittings. The gun's barrels are approximately 104.6cm in length.
 The set of XII Flintlock Infantry Carbine rifles (€8,000-12,000) |
Ader's sale won't be the first time the XII Flintlock Infantry Carbine rifle has been tested at auction.
A .55 XII rifle was auctioned by Christie's in 2003, also marked "Mre Imple OF VERSAILLES". It blasted to $3,346, well above its $1,500 pre-sale estimate - making these rifles a definite lot to watch for antique weapons enthusiasts at the Paris sale.
The gun set, described by Ader as being "in good condition", will appear with a €8,000-12,000 ($16,232) pre-sale estimate.
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